By Jonathan Ugbal
The maiden National Council on sports meeting since the split of the ministry of youth and sports development into two by the President Bola Tinubu’s administration is currently underway in Enugu with expectations that it will ratify policies that will revolutionize sports administration and development in Nigeria.
The three-day meeting, with the theme; “Sports for National Unity and Socio-Economic Growth,” hosted by the Enugu State government began Monday, a statement issued by Diana-Mary Nsan, spokesperson of the Sports Development Minister, John Owan Enoh says.
The maiden Council meeting which will exclude, for the first time, several Commissioners of Youths across the federation is of, “critical relevance as the country navigates the challenges and opportunities of our current evolution,” the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Mrs Tinuke Watti said in her welcome address.
She identified sports as having a vital role in achieving national unity, which she stressed, is the goal of any nation.
“Sports has been a cornerstone of our nation’s cultural fabric that transcends the barriers of language, ethnicity, religion, uniting us under the common banner of competition, achievement and collective pride,” Watti said.
She canvassed for the adoption of a holistic and inclusive approach to sports development to foster partnerships between the government, private sector and international bodies as the sector has the capacity to drive economic development and improve public health.
Furthermore, she expressed confidence in the ability of experts and consultants who will lead technical sessions during the meeting to come up with policies that would serve as a guide for improved decisions in the sports sector.
On his part, the host Governor, Dr. Peter Mbah who was represented by his Deputy, Ifeanyi Ossai Esq said the State is honored to host the maiden meeting while advocating for open, constructive and forward thinking that will leverage on the collective expertise to ensure the sector sees a boost in infrastructure development, athlete welfare, funding mechanism, coaching standards and grassroots sports programmes.
“As we gather for the technical session of this esteemed council, we are not only participants in a meeting but also pioneers charting a new course for the future of sports in Nigeria,” Ossai said.
Below are images from the meeting.
